The Old Crowd
by ante.albus
Summary: This is a story about the Marauders in their seventh year at Hogwarts. It's actually an RP turned fanfic, so if it reads a bit awkward at times, that's why. It mostly focuses on James's pursuit of Lily with a bit of Sirius and some Narcissa
1. Chapter One

James buried his head in his arms, which were folded on the long Gryffindor table. His golden plate was empty and pushed aside: an unusual sight to behold near this typically ravenous boy. He couldn't bring himself to eat, though. Not after his latest run in with Lily. He just couldn't understand why she hated him so much.

_I'm the most popular guy in school, I'm captain of the Quidditch team, a damn good Chaser, rather good looking, funny, pretty smart, brilliant with a wand... and she still thinks I'm worse than every Slytherin combined. _

He shuddered, hearing her words repeated over and over.

_Worse than every Slytherin... a bigheaded toerag... arrogant... a pompous show-off... worse than every Slytherin..._

How could she think that? He surely wasn't worse than Malfoy, or Snivellus. Lifting his head slightly, he ran a hand through his hair. He needed Sirius or Remus. His friends could always clear his head. He knew Sirius had to be down for dinner eventually; he was like homework in McGonagall's class, you could just count on it.

Sirius's stomach gave a loud grumble as he ran down the marble staircase. Flying past a group of third years and nearly knocking one over, he finally reached the doors to the Great Hall and threw them open. Dashing towards the Gryffindor table, he took his usual seat and hastily started stuffing food into his mouth, hardly letting it touch his fork before devouring it by the mouthful. He didn't even notice how distraught James seemed, nor did he much care at the moment. His stomach was the only thing on his mind.

When it was satisfied and he had slowed his eating a little, he glanced up at James.

"'Lo" he said through a mouthful of potatoes. He swallowed and continued: "You alright mate?"

James's knew he couldn't tell Sirius the real reason he was so depressed; Black would laugh himself silly. But at any rate, he was glad for some company.

"Oh, so I'm _not_ wearing the invisibility cloak" he said sarcastically. "For a moment there I thought you couldn't see me. I'm fine Padfoot, why d'ya ask? And where've you been; you're fifteen minutes late to dinner."

Sirius grinned at James. "Sorry" he said sheepishly. "I was in detention... stupid Filch wouldn't let me eat 'til all the trophies were polished. I think I'll complain to Headmaster Dippet; they can't starve me like this" As if for emphasis, his stomach let out another low rumble, and Sirius took a few more bites before continuing"Are you sure you're alright? When I came in you looked as if you'd just been talking with Lily." He glanced up from his bite of pie, half-suspended in the air, and raised a questioning eyebrow at James.

James sighed. How did his friend know him so well?

"Funny you put it like that Padfoot."

He looked down at the half-eaten piece of pie, and suddenly he wasn't so hungry. Shaking his head, he said, "She hates me. Absolutely hates me. And I can't stop chasing her." He pushed his food around on his plate again, then suddenly threw his fork down on the table.

"Why does it have to be so complicated! Why, of all the girls in this school, does my heart have to settle on HER! The only friggin girl I can't seem to get!" he said, louder than he had anticipated. A few people looked over at him, but he didn't care.

Sirius immediately regretted saying anything about Lily. He looked down at his plate, then back up at James. He knew how his friend felt, but he really didn't know how to help him.

"Well, I mean, I guess maybe that's why you like her... 'cause she is so hard to get. But don't give up mate, she'll come round." He didn't really believe his own words, but he hated seeing James is such a state. In fact, he had half a mind to go learn the _Imperius_ curse and just force Lily to go out with James. But the larger half of his mind was still focused on food.

"C'mon, don't think too much on it. Let's go play some Quidditch for a while; it's still light."

James looked over at Sirius and thought for a second before responding: "Sure, I could do for some Quidditch."

Standing up, he waited for Sirius to finish off his third slice of pie before heading towards the exit. They walked briskly across the Entrance Hall, through the oak front doors, and down to the darkening Quidditch pitch. The sun was steadily dropping in the sky; they would only have about an hour of daylight.

The minute James kicked off, he felt all his cares fall away, remaining on the ground while he soared higher and higher. He felt lighter, diving and racing through the chill night air, the wind whipping his hair and whistling in his ears. It was the most glorious feeling he had ever known; he was glad Sirius had suggested it. Pulling up next to his best mate, he said: "Shall we toss the Quaffle around a bit?"

Smiling as James pulled up beside him, Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Sure, sounds good to me."

He swept down to the ground and grabbed the oddly shaped ball, which he and James were soon tossing around.

* * *

Exiting the castle and stepping out into the chill, oncoming night, Dumbledore breathed deeply to fill his lungs with a refreshing draught of crisp fall air. The Forbidden Forest was already filled with long shadows, creating an atmosphere that lived up to its name. The setting sun cast rays of gold across the placid surface of the lake; sparkles of color danced on the water. The clouds were illuminated with reds, pinks, deep purple and soft yellow, bestowing a brief ethereal grandeur on the unworthy earth below. It was precisely what Dumbledore needed to ease his troubled mind.

His swift strides quickly carried him towards the Quidditch pitch, where he immediately spotted two black-haired students tossing a Quaffle between them. For a few moments, he simply stood and watched, letting the memories of his own days on the pitch come soaring back into his mind. He could still feel the wind tugging at his robes, still hear the crowds roar as he neared the Snitch. It was one of the most glorious feelings he could imagine.

As he continued to watch, he suddenly saw one of the boys make spectacular dive, and after the boy pulled up, he couldn't help but give a small round of applause.

As James pulled out of his dive, he heard a strange sound. Glancing down to the side of the pitch, he noticed Professor Dumbledore, clapping. James felt a blush rise to his cheeks and vaguely wondered if the Headmaster would give them detention for being on the pitch without permission. He slowly floated down to the ground in front of the silver-haired wizard.  
"Er, I didn't see you there, Professor" he said sheepishly, looking at his broom instead of the Headmaster.

Dumbledore's bright blue eyes danced with a perceptive twinkle.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, I pray you, do not allow me to interrupt this merriment."

He put a hand on James's shoulder, and when the black-haired boy looked up, Dumbledore held his eye. In a quieter voice, he continued:

"I daresay it can be a brilliant remedy for the troubles of the day."

Standing back upright, he nodded knowingly and gave an impish smile.

"Just see to it that you are inside the Gryffindor Tower before curfew arrives. I certainly would not order you off the pitch on such a night as this... nor when the Quidditch final is drawing so close... I should very much like to see Gryffindor victorious again- Do try to win, James."

He gazed off into the sky with a very reminiscent expression. A seeker in his first year, Dumbledore had devoted every spare moment to Quidditch, which was every moment not spent with his schoolbooks. He still remembered that rush, that marvelous sensation which only flying could bring. He knew that James needed the comfort of Quidditch, for reasons Dumbledore could only guess.

James nodded dumbly. He couldn't believe he was getting off so easily.

"Er, yes sir. I'll try sir."

His hand was trembling on his broom. Something in the old man's aura was very soothing, though. Like he knew. James couldn't help feeling a surging admiration for the wise, silver-haired wizard.

Smiling inwardly, Dumbledore replied, "Of course, of course. Gryffindor has not seen such a fine Seeker as you for many years. I am certain you will lead your team triumphantly."

James felt a blush return to his cheeks. He was used to thinking highly of himself, but a compliment from the Headmaster was rare indeed.

"I, er, thank you, sir."

Inclining his head slightly, the Headmaster stepped back. "I take my leave. Remember, curfew signals the end of your revelries. And James- I look forward to handing you the Cup."

With these words, the tall, gray-haired wizard turned back towards the castle and disappeared into the night.


	2. Chapter Two

Snow danced outside the window as Lirenel gazed out over the grounds. It blew in thick flurries, quickly covering the landscape with a glittering blanket of beautiful, pure white. The scene was worthy of a Christmas card; 'twas as if the world had been placed inside a snowglobe, and some giant-child was now shaking his lovely new toy. Leaning against the chilled glass, Lirenel watched the falling flakes for several minutes, taking in the splendid grandeur of it all and wishing she could be as perfect as the crystals which graced the earth with their sparkling presence. Maybe, just maybe, if she were as perfect as the brilliant snow, he would notice her. Maybe he would acknowledge her existence. _But I'm not perfect._ she thought. _And he won't notice me._

Stepping back from the sorrow instilling panorama, the chocolate haired girl walked over to one of the plush, crimson armchairs of the Gryffindor Common Room. She sunk deeply into its comforting softness, which enveloped her lonely body like the warm embrace she so craved. Staring into the fire, she let her thoughts wander into a reverie of pleasant dreams... dreams of his gentle touch, his tender lips, his heart-stopping smile, his silky black hair that fell elegantly into his stunningly deep eyes...

She sighed, waking herself from surreal daydream. _It will never happen, Lirenel. You know that. Stop torturing yourself._ Her heart just couldn't accept the fact that he would never see her, though. It refused to give up hope. She clung to the thoughts that plagued her soul, the thoughts that kept a tiny flame burning within. But oh, that flame consumed her with its blazing passion! She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling utterly hopeless and yet remaining unable to let go of the scant possibility. Fire flickered in her eyes, whether reflecting from the blaze in the hearth or transmitting the flames in her soul... or perhaps a bit of both.

Sirius had been up in the dorms, lying on his bed and wondering where the hell Remus and James were. _They wouldn't forget..._ They were supposed to come up right after dinner. A half an hour ago. Sirius had come up when he had finished dinner, expecting his friends to join him in a few minutes. Now, he was alone and bored. _James probably got detention or something, and knowing Remus, he's studying._ These thoughts comforted him, but didn't quite put his mind at ease. He was rather glad to be alone, though. He had quite a bit on his mind. Well, one particular thing on his mind that wouldn't leave him alone. _What would she ever see in me though... c'mon Sirius._

A certain chocolate haired girl had stolen his fancy of late. He couldn't get her gorgeous green eyes out of his mind. He, Sirius Black, had a fancy. He shuddered to think what James would say. He hadn't said anything for that very reason; he liked being able to tease James about Lily, but he didn't think he'd be able to take it if James pestered him about being shut down by a girl. For he would most certainly be turned away. She was far too perfect for him. The studious, smart type, with a very elevated beauty that set her apart from the other girls. She was rather quiet. In fact, she was pretty much the opposite of Sirius, but something about her drew him to her.

Deciding he'd go see where his mates were and stop pondering impossibilities, Sirius got up from his bed and descended the stairs to the Common Room. As he entered the cozy gathering area, he felt his heart skip a beat and begin thudding loudly in his chest. She was sitting near the fire, seeming to be lost in thought.

_Just go talk to her..._

He took a deep breath, mustering his courage. _Easier said than done_. But he wasn't the type to take the easy way out, so he walked over towards the fire, pretending to look around the room, as if searching for something. After a few moments, he turned to Lirenel.

"You haven't seen James or Remus, have you?" he asked.

She glanced up, and her heart began drumming loudly. She watched him, apparently searching for something or someone, and wiped away the silently rolling tears. Her voice caught in her throat when he spoke to her, but after a few seconds she found it.

"No, no I haven't. Not since dinner," she replied, feeling the water welling in her eyes again.

She couldn't believe she was actually crying in front of him. _He probably thinks I'm pathetic and weak._ These thoughts only brought more tears to her eyes, though she fiercely wiped them away.

A look of concern crossed his face.

"Hey, you OK?" he asked, walking towards her.

He wasn't sure if he ought to sit down. He wasn't really sure _what_ he ought to do. He wasn't really experienced with those emotion things. So he remained standing, but his concern showed in his eyes. He hated to see her so upset; what could be wrong? She was so perfect... he didn't think perfect people could ever be upset.

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Of course, I'm fine," she said in a trembling voice. Then even more tears came and she buried her face in her hands. She shook her head. _Why is this happening?_ She wanted to perish on the spot, to throw herself into the fire and disappear forever.

He shifted uncomfortably. This wasn't his thing, but he couldn't just leave her crying there like that. _Just be... compassionate_, he thought to himself._ Yeah. Right._ Shaking his head, he sat down next to her and said:

"If this is fine, I'd hate to see you upset."

Smiling a bit in an attempt to seem comforting, he put his hand on her shoulder. His heart was beating so loudly, he wouldn't have been surprised if she heard it. It seemed to reverberate throughout his body. He was so close to her, touching her, talking to her. _What if she doesn't want me to?_ he thought. His stomach twisted in knots, but he didn't move his hand.

She looked up at him and wiped her eyes. _I probably look like hell._ She smiled a bit at his comment, and her heart fluttered as he smiled at her. She was glad she was sitting down, for she knew her knees would've melted if she'd been standing. Her petite body shook ever so slightly as he placed his hand on her shoulder; she could have swooned. _Oh god, oh god, what do I do?_ Her mind went numb; for a moment, everything else melted away. She quickly came back to her senses, though, and gave her green eyes a final dabbing.

"Thanks," she said softly.

She knew he was probably just being the caring person that he was. But she could think just for a few brief moments that he actually cared about her. She looked up into his deep eyes and held his gaze for a few minutes before casting her own eyes down again. _What am I thinking? He doesn't like me..._

His heart simply melted inside him; it was as if her eyes were a fire and his heart a block of ice. So enticingly green, and so beautiful. But she cast them away quickly, and the warmth left him. He still wasn't sure what to do, so he dropped his hand and leaned back on the chair, eying her with his usual mischievous look.

"So, you gonna tell me what's wrong or what?" He grinned a bit and added: "You know, it's bad to keep stuff bottled up."

She sighed and closed her eyes. Opening them again, she looked at his impish grin and couldn't help but smile a little. She couldn't tell him, of course. But she so wanted to talk to him... she had to say something.

"Well," she began, "I just... I feel so... imperfect. See there's this guy... I guess you could say I fancy him. But he hardly knows I exist." She shook her head. "I guess I was just feeling a bit hopeless, that's all."

His heart jumped to his throat. _She fancied someone? But no... it couldn't be._ He could feel his body go rigid, but forced himself to relax. _Play it cool._ He ran a hand through his hair and took an inaudible but deep breath.

"So, this guy... is he in Gryffindor?"

She smiled a bit.

"Yes, he's a Gryffindor. Sixth year."

She leaned back next to him on the couch and looked him in the eye, grinning.

"He's rather dashing too."

She quickly leaned forward though, not knowing what had come over her.

"But it's hopeless" she added.

If his heart could beat any faster, it did. _No. Sirius. It couldn't be._ He sat forward and tilted her head towards him. Staring into her eyes, he said:

"It's never hopeless."

He looked into her eyes a few more seconds before dropping his gaze and taking back his hand. He shrugged, as if to cover up the previous moment, and continued:

"I mean, there's always a chance, right?"

It was her heart's turn to melt, and melt it did. She didn't want him to look away. _Could it be...?_ For a fleeting moment, she could have sworn their hearts had connected, had sent a message between themselves professing their mutual feelings for each other. But then it was gone and he was shrugging. She sighed.

"I'm not sure if there's a chance in this situation." She shook her head. "He's just so... out of my league. He's popular, and funny, and every girl in this school would die to go out with him. He plays Quidditch... he passes his classes without touching a book. He's perfect."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Mind telling me who this guy is? 'Cause I'd sure love to meet him. I don't know any perfect guys around here. Except maybe Remus, but he doesn't play Quidditch." He chuckled a bit, thinking of Remus with a girl and diving around on a broomstick.

She smiled a little, but sighed. Looking at him with hesitant, inquiring eyes, she said softly, "Must I spell it out?"

He grinned and shook his head.

"Nah, I was never good at spelling."

He caught her eye, and his light smile turned into a longing gaze. He held her eye this time, not looking away. It was as if she could see right into him, right down into his soul. It petrified him, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. Her eyes seemed to be speaking to him, to sooth him and draw him in to her. He leaned forward. He was barely aware of what he was doing. Soon, his face was only inches from hers.

_Too close, too close, too— Sirius, Sirius what the HELL are you doing, this is much much too— oh go on already._

It was impulse. He closed the last few inches between them and placed his lips lightly on hers. Pulling back, he waited for her reaction.

It was as if her heart was going to jump right out of her chest. He was leaning towards her; she was frozen. As he placed his lips on hers, she closed her eyes and felt a tingling sensation course through her body. Her heart took flight. Her eyes fluttered open as he pulled back, and she looked at him with an adoring expression.

"Sirius..." she whispered. "His name is Sirius."


	3. Chapter Three

James was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, attempting to get over his latest pursuit of a certain red-haired girl. Lily had turned him down... _again._ He wasn't sure how much more of her 'bigheads' and 'slimey toerags' he could take. He was rather disgusted with himself, actually, for being so pathetic. He just couldn't see why she didn't like him. He had it all… he was popular, Quidditch captain, fairly smart, good with a wand, and (if he did say so himself, which he did,) rather good-looking. Sighing, he decided to go look around for his mates. He exited the Gryffindor Tower and walked down to the great oak doors which led to the grounds. Stepping outside, he gazed over the landscape, trying to locate Sirius or Remus. Hell, even Peter would do. He needed someone to take his mind off that girl. When he didn't see anyone, he ambled over to the lake and sank down on the grass. He skipped a few rocks across the still water, then leaned back and closed his eyes, listening to the lapping of the waves.

Sirius stalked out of Transfiguration having just landed yet another detention. He didn't even deserve this one: how was he supposed to know that Anna O'Dowell was deathly afraid of spiders? He'd been helping the harmless little guy find its way inside her book-bag when McGonagall had spotted him. Needless to say, he now had trophy duty. Again. He shoved past a few Hufflepuff first years, not caring about their petrified looks or the fact that he nearly trampled over one of them. Two detentions in one day was fine. In fact, it wasn't a normal day without detention. But three was pushing it, especially when it was undeserved in his eyes.

Marching out onto the grounds, Sirius quickly spotted James by the lake. Good. His friend always had a way of cheering him up. He ambled over, already feeling a bit lighter, and smiled a bit. Noticing that James' eyes were closed, he quieted his footsteps and approached softly.

"BOO!" he shouted when he was a few feet away. He plopped down next to James.

"You really ought to be careful sleeping out here. You never know when a Slytherin might be wandering around."

He smirked a bit and lay down in the grass.

James nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Bloody hell Sirius! You nearly gave me a friggin heart attack!" He laughed. "Oh I'm not too worried about the Slytherins. I'm pretty sure they only come out at night... something about being allergic to sunlight, or turning into dust..." He grinned evilly. "So where've you been?" he asked. "I was looking all over for you and Remus."

Sirius laughed. "How silly of me, of course Slytherins only come out at night."

But his smile abruptly vanished as James asked where he'd been.

"Stupid McGonagall gave me a bloody detention. Wasn't even my fault... I was just trying to help a fellow find a new home… the fact that he had eight legs really shouldn't be a big deal. It's discrimination I tell you."

He shook his head as if the world was going insane. What was the harm in a little practical joke? It was getting caught that irked Sirius the most. _I must be getting sloppy..._ he thought to himself. He vowed that his next prank had to be big, and that he wouldn't get caught.

James sat back in the grass and laughed. "Oh Sirius, only you..." He shook his head. "Sucks getting caught, doesn't it?" He grinned wickedly. "Don't worry mate, everyone knows you're still the best practical joker around.Besides me, of course." He chuckled again. "If only Li- I mean, normal people, appreciated my talent."

Sirius laughed at his friend's ego. Only James could be so narcissistic. Sirius happened to find this part of his friend amusing; unfortunately, others did not.

His eyes opened a bit wider as James cut himself off. "You were going to say Lily!" he said, pointing his finger at James. He rolled over on the grass and began laughing as if he had just heard the funniest thing in his life. It felt good to forget about detention and McGonagall's foreboding face.

"You—are—pathetic!" he managed to gasp out between peals of laughter.

When he had managed to calm himself, he asked, "So, how many times has she turned you down now? Ten? Twenty? A thousand?" He grinned evilly and chuckled a bit more.

James felt his face burning red.

"Oh shut up Padfoot."

He looked at the ground and pulled up a few blades of grass.

"She's just... thick. That's all. Thick." He looked up defiantly at his friend. "She'll come 'round. Mark my words, she'll come 'round."

Sirius chuckled.

"Sure mate, sure she will."

He stopped teasing James though, because he could tell that his friend was a bit depressed. Sighing, he glanced at his watch.

"Sorry Prongs, but McGonagall will have my ass if I'm late to detention. I better get going." He stood up and brushed himself off, then dashed up to the castle.

"Do tell me James, who is thick?"

James whirled around and came face to face with Narcissa Black, a blonde-haired Slytherin. _Great._ he thought. _What happened to them only coming out at night?_

"Well, honestly, I'd have to say every bloody Slytherin in this school, but you've got to be one of the thickest, sitting so close to me." He glared evilly at her, wondering why she was daring to sit with him. "Shouldn't you be inside? I thought sunlight turned you into dust or something."

She examined her pristine nails. "Oh that's so old, James. Really, I would've thought that you, at least, could do better."

She straightened her kilt, and looked up again.

"Now, you wouldn't have been discussing _Evans_, would you? I really don't think she'd appreciate you saying such terrible things about her."

James sighed. The one thing that made his heart ache more than anything, and it seemed to be the only thing that anyone would ever pester him about. He almost wished he had never set eyes on that gorgeous red hair.

"Oh go flirt with that pointy-nosed, slimy git you call a boyfriend. I don't need you telling me what Lily would or wouldn't appreciate."

Narcissa sighed theatrically. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."

James raised his eyebrows. "Well I'm sure _I've_ heard you go a bit weak in the knees around _Lucius._"

Narcissa didn't seem phased by his attempts to rile her.

"My dear boy, every girl in my entire house goes weak in the knees around Lucius." She thought a moment. "A few from other houses, too."

He sighed.

"I don't care."

She lay down and rolled onto her stomach, black robes spreading over her shoulders like a pair of wings. She rested her chin on her forearms and spoke, her tone not as mocking as before.

"Potter, of _course_ you care. Your heart _bleeds_ it cares so much."

He frowned. "What's it to you? You'd probably rejoice if my heart bled to death." He narrowed his eyes. "It's not like it matters."

She began braiding her pieces of grass together, watching him over the tops of her nimble fingers.

"Your heart is your own concern. What you do with it is up to you, but if it were _my_ heart, I'd stop bruising it so much."


	4. Chapter Four

Narcissa was in the common room, studying for Potions. There was going to be a test tomorrow, and her marks hadn't been too impressive lately. She looked up as a log cracked in the fire, and watched with bored fascination as the wood settled and the embers glowed. With an irritable noise she shut her book and dropped it on the ground, lying back on the couch, staring at the dark arches of the ceiling.

Lucius was lying on his bed, reading the latest Dark Arts book, which his father had sent earlier that day. Its pages were hardly engrossing, as he had already learnt most of what it had to say. Deciding his time would be better spent with his friends, he rose from the green four-poster bed and made his way to the Common Room. Upon entering the harbor of Slytherin activity, he spotted a certain blonde haired girl sitting near the fire. His heart raced a bit, and he instinctively ran a hand through his already perfect hair. As none of his other friends were around, he decided to see what she was doing. _Just be natural._ Striding haughtily over to her, he settled himself on one of the Slytherin-green couches.

"Evening Narcissa," he said in his typical drawling voice. "What are you up to?"

Narcissa looked over at Lucius made his way to the couch. Her face remained impassive, and she managed to stomp down excited fluttery feelings in her chest. She responded to his greeting with a polite nod.

"I was studying for potions, but I've given up on that." She smiled lazily. "Whatever have you been doing? I haven't seen you since dinner."

Lucius glanced at the book on the floor and smirked a bit.

"Potions isn't your thing, eh?" he asked with a slight grin. Leaning back on the couch, he sighed. "I was reading a book that Father sent me... it's so bloody boring though." He rolled his eyes. "Like I haven't already read a thousand books about 'the history of the dark arts'."

She poked at the book on the floor.

"Potions is rather boring. It's too easy; you don't need to -think- for it." She smiled. "I like history though. At least it's partially interesting."

A small part of her wondered fuzzily why she was discussing academics with Lucius Malfoy instead of trying to snog his nose off.

Lucius smiled slightly as she poked at the book which remained on the floor. He actually enjoyed Potions, but he wasn't about to say so after she had professed her disdain for it.

"Potions is rather dull," he agreed.

He hated discussing school; it was practically the last thing he wanted to talk about. Much less talk about with Narcissa, when he could be discussing how beautiful her eyes were.

"So... are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?" He tried to sound nonchalant. He wasn't sure if he succeeded. He ran his hand through his hair again.

Narcissa gave a start as he asked her about Hogmeade and sat up, very carefully. She picked a nonexistent piece of hair from her kilt.

"Yes, I'm going… are you?"

Lucius nodded. "Of course, of course."

She felt rather silly and couldn't seem to make herself meet his gaze. She pushed the Potions book over to her left and leaned down to get it, setting it down on the couch beside her. She flicked her grey eyes up to meet his matching pair and laughed faintly.

"We're like twins, Lucius," she said softly.

He set his elbow on the arm of the couch and raised an eyebrow at her comment.

"Twins? How do you figure?"

She smiled, a small curve of the lips. "We're both quite pale, we have the same eyes, and, the same hair…"

As she spoke, she reached across the small table in between then, and gently picked up a section of Lucius's silver-blond hair. She dropped it hurriedly when she was finished speaking, and returned her hands to her lap where they sat, awkwardly. She picked at her skirt once more.

He tilted his head and felt a rush when she touched his blonde hair. He could sense her uneasiness. In truth, he felt somewhat awkward too, but it told him that she maybe, just maybe, returned his feelings. He smiled.

"You make an excellent point, except..." –he stretched his hand across the table now and brushed a strand of silky hair from her pale face– "...you're beautiful."

His expression was soft, almost impassive, but flirtatious nonetheless. He glanced towards the fire, then back at her.

She said nothing when he brushed her hair from her eyes, but her heart was thumping so loudly she was sure he could hear it. Lucius Malfoy had just told her she was beautiful. Mr. Desirability had just said she was beautiful.

"Thank you," she replied in a voice just above a whisper.

They sat in silence for a few moments before she found the courage to speak again.

"So…" she said, halting. "What will you be doing in Hogsmeade?"

"I suppose I'll just be aimlessly wandering around. I don't suppose you'd like to join me?"

He held his breath, unsure how she would respond.

She immediately sat up a bit straighter, a smile widening on her face. She quickly repressed this show of emotions, however, and replied primly:

"Why thank you. I would love to."

Inside, a small part of her set off celebratory firecrackers.

He couldn't help but let his lips curve into a large smile. For a moment, his voice seemed to stick in his throat, as if words were unworthy of such a wonderful moment. He quickly found that suave drawl again though.

"Marvelous. I'll look forward to it."

Glancing at the clock, he sighed.

"Forgive me, but I must take my leave."

He stood up and bowed slightly with a dramatic flourish of his hand.

"Good night, fair maiden."

With one last sultry glance, he headed up to the dorms.


	5. Chapter Five

Sirius rolled over in his scarlet bed and buried his head in the fluffy pillow upon which he was resting. The bright sunlight streamed in from the tall windows, casting rays of brilliance throughout the dorm, which was empty except for the black-haired wizard. Suddenly, he remembered: _Valentine's Day._ Groaning, he bolted upright, throwing back the covers and cursing the sudden chill of the air. He needed to get to Hogsmeade; he was supposed to have gotten up early, but as it was nearing late-morning already, that certainly wasn't going to happen. He wanted the day to be perfect for Lir, and he had picked out the perfect gift for her in one of the local wizarding shops. It was no short hop through the secret passage, though; an hour there and back at least. He quickly dressed in a pair of weekend robes, haphazardly pulled on his socks and a pair of scruffy shoes, ran his fingers through his already perfect hair, and quickly checked his reflection. Satisfied, he threw on the trusty cloak and grabbed the map, then dashed down to the Common Room and out the Portrait hole.

A few minutes later, he was legging it as fast as he could down the secret tunnel which led to Honeydukes' cellar. He had to bend over, and it was hard going. Quidditch practice was paying off though, and he made it in record time. When he poked his head up through the trapdoor, he made sure the coast was clear, then hurried up the steps and slipped into the sweetshop, unnoticed. He perused the delectables, selecting a few chocolate roses before racing off to the next store.

Twenty minutes later, Sirius had snuck back down to the basement of Honeydukes and descended through the trapdoor into the secret passageway again. His burden slowed him a tad, but he managed to make it back to Hogwarts in fairly good time. It was nearly midday when he checked the Map before silently emerging from behind the old crone's hump. Still wearing the Invisibility Cloak, he sprinted back up to the Gryffindor Tower and ran up the steps to his dormitory. Once he had safely deposited his purchases and returned the cloak and map to its rightful place in James' trunk, he paused to catch his breath, then slowly ambled down to the grounds, where he suspected James would be.

James was lying on the grass near the lake in the Marauders' usual spot, listening to the lapping of the waves and staring up into the brilliantly blue sky. The clouds morphed continuously in their white fluffiness, and James watched them with interest, having nothing better to do. He was in a rather horrible mood, due to the nature of the day. The worst day, in James' opinion, of the entire year: _Valentine's Day._ It wouldn't have been so bad, he supposed, if he had a girlfriend. Namely Lily as a girlfriend. But he didn't, and he was thoroughly depressed. All the love-struck, starry-eyed people, with their roses and their love letters. Honestly, you'd think the morning post could have something better to bring than pink, heart-encrusted envelopes and boxes of chocolates that sang classic love songs. As James wallowed in his hatred of love, he wondered where Sirius had gotten off to. Sure, his friend always slept late... but 'til midday? Nah, there had to be another reason. He vaguely wondered if Padfoot had wandered off somewhere with Lirenel, but he was sure he had seen the chocolate haired girl earlier that day, minus her 'other half'. He was just about to go look for Sirius when the doors to the castle open and his friend stepped out onto the grounds. James grinned.

"Hey Sirius!" he yelled, waving.

Sirius smiled as he noticed James waving at him. He slowly toddled over to his friend and plopped down beside him near the lake wearing a rather lopsided grin. He was feeling pretty giddy at the moment. "Hey James," he replied.

James raised an eyebrow. "Where've you been all morning?"

Sirius gazed out over the tranquil surface of the lake with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Where've I been? Hm... well, a guy's gotta have his beauty sleep..."

He wasn't exactly sure he wanted to tell James what he had bought for Lirenel, so he decided to be ambiguous. He wasn't about to answer the question straight. He grinned and added:

"Didja know Honeydukes is having a wicked sale on Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans?"

Chuckling, James responded: "No... I'll have to go check that out."

James snickered and raised his eyebrow, knowing that Sirius had of course gone to Hogsmeade to pick up Lir's gift. He grinned again.

"So, what'd you get her."

Sirius laughed, blushing slightly and leaning back onto the grass. He was so love-struck, it was almost embarrassing. He just couldn't get that happy-go-lucky feeling to leave his chest. It was intoxicating. Grinning at the sky, he replied:

"Oh James, you're going to think I'm nuts... I got her a ring."

"You WHAT!"

James sat bolt upright and stared at Sirius as if he'd just turned into Severus Snape right before his eyes. He looked out at the lake, shook his head as if he wasn't hearing things right, and looked back at Sirius.

"Did I just hear you correctly? A ring? A bloody ring!" He stared in disbelief. He just couldn't believe it.

Sirius looked at the ground sheepishly. "Yes, I got her a ring."

"A ring... you got her a ring..."

James started muttering to himself as if he was crazy. He just couldn't believe it. Throwing up his hands, he looked up at the sky, then back at Sirius.

"What the _bloody_ hell were you thinking! Are you asking her to bloody _marry_ you! Do you have ANY idea what you're getting yourself into? YOU BOUGHT HER A BLOODY RING!"

Sirius sighed. James was taking it pretty well.

Ok, maybe not as well as he'd expected.

"Well, we _are_ in seventh year... I mean, it's not like we're kids anymore." He plucked at the grass nervously. "I really do love her James."

James nearly jumped out of his skin.

"You ARE going to ask her, aren't you? _Bloody_ hell." He shook his head again, still unable to conceive the notion. "You... and her... together... _married_..."

He put his hands over his face and tried to calm himself. If it was what Sirius wanted, he ought to be supportive. On second thought, he couldn't just let his friend ruin his life. He shook his head.

"Sure, we're not kids anymore... but we're not exactly adults. How do you know you love her? What if you find someone else? Sirius, you're not exactly the committed type... are you sure you want to go through with this?"

He was truly concerned for his friend. He knew Sirius. He knew that Sirius wasn't the type to make rash decisions like this.

Sirius knew James was only looking out for him, but his comments were starting to grate his nerves.

"YES, I'm sure I want to go through with it. I've been thinking about this for a long time now. I know you think I can't handle it, but honestly, you're making this harder than it already is."

He frowned a bit, thinking of the butterflies that had been floating around in his stomach all day. Now, James's incredulity of his capacity to follow through with it only made matters worse. He sighed and picked up some of the shredded grass, letting it fall to the ground in a fluttering cascade.

"Fine."

James's voice was tight. It wasn't that he thought Padfoot couldn't handle it, or that he didn't want the two of them to be happy together. He did. He was just lonely, insanely lonely. He wanted someone to love like that too. He wanted Lily. And Lily was just the person he couldn't have. And then there was Sirius, with his perfect girlfriend, about to ask her to marry him. No doubt they'd live happily ever after, Prince Charming and his lovely princess.

"Sorry mate, guess you just took me by surprise that's all." He put on a smile, or at least attempted. "I'm really happy for you Padfoot. I know she'll say yes. You guys are a great couple. You'll be happy together."

Sirius sighed. He could see right through James, but he was glad that his friend was calming down. He wished Lily would just up and go out with him already.

"Look James..."

He didn't really know what to say. How could he comfort his friend when he couldn't bring the one thing James wanted? He sighed.

"Well, thanks... even though I know you're just bullshitting me, it means a lot that you can at least pretend its ok."

He pulled on a small grin.

"Say, why don't we go try to find Snivellus? Or throw Dungbombs at Filch from under the Invisibility Cloak?" He was trying to think of ways to cheer James up, he really was.

James shook his head. "Nah, you go find Lir... she's probably wondering where you are." He stood up, putting on a false smile. "I've got a detention to serve... I'll catch you later. Good luck tonight."

He looked down at Sirius with a half-grin, then turned around a headed up to the castle, letting his face fall into a sorrowful frown.

_Damn Valentine's Day._


	6. Chapter Six

James Potter awoke to the brilliant sunlight of a Saturday morning. A Hogsmeade morning. His mischievous brown eyes flickered open and danced in the streaming golden rays, anticipating a glorious day in the all wizarding community. Throwing back the scarlet bedcovers, he sat up and glanced around the dorm, which he shared with his three friends. Surprisingly, they were already gone. He glanced at the clock, noticing it was already fairly late in the morning, so he figured they must have already gone ahead. He was a little irritated that they hadn't woken him up, but he shrugged it off and quickly threw on a pair of robes.

Fifteen minutes later, he was trekking down the stairs to the Great Hall for a bite of breakfast before his journey to Hogsmeade. He grabbed a few pieces of toast, downed a hasty glass of orange juice, and stuffed an apple in his pocket. Dashing out of the nearly empty Great Hall, he walked up to Filch, who always checked that the students had their permission slips. Of course, James's was in order, and he was allowed to exit the castle doors. Sprinting as fast as his legs would carry him, he ran down the path towards the village, his cloak billowing behind him.

Upon arriving, he figured he'd check Honeydukes first to see if his friends were there and stock up on Chocolate Frogs.

Narcissa was woken up by the thump of Allison Bulstrode falling out of bed. She glared, pulled herself from beneath the covers and padded over to her trunk. Throwing it open, she dug through it until she found a decent set of robes and pulled them on. She searched forlornly for a comb, but couldn't find one. Grumbling, she went back to her trunk, managing to unearth a hairclip in the shape of a silver serpent. With an impatient yank, she gathered her smooth, blonde hair in a low ponytail and pinned it up, letting a few perfect tendrils fall at the sides of her face. Satisfied, she grabbed her cloak and exited the dorms, setting off for the magical world of Hogsmeade.

Lucius's eyes slowly opened to the flickering torchlight of his dimly-lit dormitory. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments, letting his senses come to life before remembering that today was Saturday. The weekend. A Hogsmeade weekend. _Narcissa._ His heart fluttered. He quickly jumped out of bed, stuffing his feet into his dark-green slippers and padding softly to his wardrobe. He selected one of his finest weekend robes, a black silk number trimmed with silver unicorn hair. Brushing his long, silver-blonde hair and adding copious amounts of SlickEazy Hairgel, he tied it back in a sleek ponytail with a black satin ribbon. Slipping his feet out of his slippers and into his black, dragon-hide boots, he checked his reflection in the full length mirror near his bed. Contented, he hastily dashed through the Common Room and up to the Great Hall, hoping to find some of his friends.

Upon entering the dining area, he saw a few groups of straggling students here and there, but none of his friends were to be found. Sighing, he figured they had already headed down to the village, so he proceeded in that direction. He gave Filch a nasty glare as the caretaker checked his list for Malfoy's name, but he was permitted to pass at length. Sniffing disdainfully, he marched haughtily through the great oak doors and sauntered towards the wizarding town.

When he arrived in Hogsmeade, he soon lost himself in the immense crowds of witches and wizards which were swarming in and out of the shops. Pulling his cloak tightly about him, he decided that he would mostly likely find Avery and Rodolphus in the Three Broomsticks, but he didn't truly want to see them just yet. What he really wanted to do was find Narcissa. Not knowing where she would be shopping, he decided to search every store he came across. The nearest shop was Honeydukes, so he strode through the bustling crowds and pushed open the creaky door, setting off a little tinkling bell.

James entered the shop full of delicious sweets and looked around for his friends. He didn't spot Sirius, Remus or even Peter, which was odd because they normally hung out in either Honeydukes or the Three Broomsticks. Shrugging, James perused the shelves, loading up on all his favourite candies.

When the bell of the store went off, James looked over to the door and frowned. _Lucius Malfoy._ He hated Malfoy even more than Malfoy hated him. Sending a glare in the pale wizard's direction, he went back to his sweets, not wanting to start a row in the middle of the shop.

Narcissa stepped out the wide doors and began to walk along with the other students from the school as they trailed their way towards the town. She was supposed to meet Lucius there, and she was so excited she could barely stand it. She felt rather odd. She hadn't bragged at all to any of her friends about going with him, nor even told Bellatrix. She guessed that her sister probably knew already, but didn't much mind. Bellatrix seemed to know everything.

Upon arriving at the entrance to the town, she paused and thought for a moment. Where was she going to meet Lucius? They hadn't really mentioned that when they had made the plans. Frowning, she turned to look into the crowded streets, just in time to catch sight of a blonde head disappearing into the sweet shop. She began forward, unsure if it was really him.

Lucius glanced eagerly around the shop, hoping to find Narcissa, but instead his eyes landed on Potter. Sneering at the black-haired wizard, he felt a hatred surge through him. He and James were arch-enemies, both on the Quidditch pitch and in everyday school life. James was to Gryffindor the equivalent of Lucius to Slytherin, although Lucius liked to think that he was a bit more popular than that filthy muggle-lover.

Narrowing his eyes, he decided that he could buy a little something for Narcissa while he was here. He didn't really know what she liked, so he started to browse through the sweets, running his eyes over their odd names. He wanted something elegant, something refined... something that suited her personality. He stood in the middle of the store, glancing around at all the shelves and doing his best to ignore James. Finally, his eyes lighted on a candied-rose. The only problem was… it was right next to Potter.

Sticking up his chin, Lucius marched over, undaunted by the other boy. He certainly didn't want to duel right here in the store, but he wasn't about to let Potter get the best of him. Striding up beside him, he searched through the flowers of spun-sugar, trying to decide which one looked the best.

James was picking out a few bars of fudge when he saw a pair of black boots approach out of the corner of his eye. _Great._ he thought. He clenched his jaw, wondering what Malfoy was up to. As he glanced over, he noticed Lucius rummaging through the sugared roses, which were generally considered gifts for people you fancied. He couldn't help but grin.

"Now Lucius, why on earth would you need one of those? No girl in her right mind would ever go out with you."

Lucius said nothing and merely shot James a dirty look. With an air of superiority, he marched over to the cashier, made his purchase, and swept gracefully out into the howling winds, only just missing Narcissa by mere seconds.

Narcissa was elbowing her way through the crowd, fighting the masses of plump housewitches out to do some shopping. She arrived at the sweet shop not the worse for wear, having only needed to cast two hexes to get someone out of her way. She took a moment to re-arrange her hair, managing to get most of it back into the clip, but unable to tame a few rogue strands which refused to be pulled back.

As she entered the shop, she heard the tinkling of a small brass bell. She could barely see over the forest of hats, as fourth years seemed to think it necessary to wear theirs inside the shop. Groaning slightly, she battered them out of the way and was beginning to make her way toward the back when she abruptly spotted–

"James Potter?"

James was just about to go pay for his findings when a sickening voice spoke his name. He didn't even want to turn around. But he did. He narrowed his eyes.

"Narcissa Black. What do _you_ want."

His voice was harsh. He had no tolerance for Slytherins. Much less Slytherins who were rumoured to fancy his arch nemesis.

Narcissa rolled her eyes. She stepped forward, standing beside James as she reached for a paper bag and a pair of tongs.

"Why must you always assume the worst? Silly boy. I was wondering how you were this fine morning."

She flipped open the lid of the sorbet lemon container and picked up a few, dropping them into her bag before closing the lid and moving on.

"I'm having a wonderful time. Could you move please? You're blocking the honey drops."

James stared at her disbelievingly, but stepped aside as she asked him to.

"Fine morning?"

He shook his head. He wasn't with his friends, he was talking to a Slytherin, and Lily Evens still wouldn't go out with him. Definitely not fine in his book. He watched her filling her bag with sweets and his thoughts wandered back to Lucius.

"Best buy something for that git of a boyfriend of yours. He bought you one of those."

He pointed at the roses. He hoped that Lucius was planning to spring the flower on Narcissa unexpectedly and that he had now altogether ruined any element of said surprise.

Narcissa rolled her eyes as she opened the chocolate cream box and looked at them for a moment, musingly.

"He's not my boyfriend, James. At least, not yet. Maybe you should take a page from his book and purchase one for your own special someone. Perhaps she'll appreciate it."

She snapped the lid shut and stood with her hands akimbo. Coming to some sort of decision, she headed towards the great slabs of Honeyduke's finest chocolate.

James looked at her in shock. It wasn't a half bad idea. _Yeah... maybe Lily would like something... why didn't I think of that?_ Refusing to go the same way as Lucius, he searched the store with his eyes, glancing over the numerous shelves and finally letting them come to rest on a jar of...

"Lilies," he whispered. "Perfect."

He quickly strode over to the container of sugared flowers. Checking the price, he let out a low whistle, but he picked up the entire vase. Leaving all his other candy on the shelf where the glass urn had resided, he marched up to the cashier and set the lilies down.

"I'll take the lot," he said.

He dug out a few Galleons from his robe pocket and set them on the counter. Picking up his purchase, he now simply had to find Lily.

Narcissa watched him amusedly as she waited for her chocolate. Sighing to herself, she headed to the cash register, cut to the front of the line and paid, leaving the shop with a glossy plastic bag with a gold 'HD' emblazoned on the side. Once again, she had to claw her way across the square to the door of The Three Broomsticks, which she slipped through, making her way to a table and ordering a tall glass of butterbeer.


	7. Chapter Seven

Lucius had walked out into the nippyspring air holding a long, slender box wrapped in silver paper and embossed with the letters 'HD' under his right arm. Unbeknownst to him, he had passed right by Narcissa; the crowd had shielded her from his view, and he had continued down the busy street, searching in vain for her silky blonde hair. He stopped in every store that promised even a slight hope of finding her inside, from Dervish and Bangs to the Post Office, the Three Broomsticks to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shoppe, where the sickeningly close couples made Lucius only more determined to find his heart's desire.

But as the stores grew fewer and fewer, his zeal dwindled and his spirits sank. His last chance, the Hog's Head, proved no more fruitful than any of his other stops; he peered inside for only a moment, as a rather dank smell was emanating from that filthy tavern, but it was long enough to ascertain she certainly wasn't there. He sighed and glanced down the street with sullen eyes. Tucking his head against the wind, he let himself be swept away in the current of the crowd, not even paying attention to where it was leading him. The wind was biting, and at length he decided he would grab a quick butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks. Perhaps Rodolphus was still there.

Upon entering the pub, he quickly scanned the tables and his heart skipped a few beats. She was there, sitting at a table alone. He automatically raised his hand to his hair, making sure it was absolutely perfect before straightening his robes and sauntering over to her.

"Fancy meeting you here," he said in his suave drawl, taking a seat next to her.

"I looked for you in here earlier, but I must have just missed you."

Narcissa's eyes widened as she glanced up from her straw and saw Lucius step through the door. A smile spread across her face.

"Hallo Lucius," she replied warmly.

He smiled and set his box on the table, lightly pushing it towards her.

"This is for you."

She accepted the slim box as he pushed it towards her and thanked him before puling on the ends of the silver ribbon. The bow came undone and she lifted off the lid.

James had ruined the surprise for her, but even so she hadn't expected the flower to be so lovely. It was made entirely of sugar, spun so finely that it looked like faintly coloured glass. It lay on pale grey tissue paper embossed with the Honeyduke's logo. She lifted it carefully from it's wrapping, and turned it over and over in her hands. It glittered. She wasn't sure if she would be able to eat it.

She carefully laid it back into its box before looking back at Lucius and grabbing a hold of his neck in a tight hug. Narcissa, contrary to popular belief, didn't receive that many gifts she actually enjoyed, and to receive something so heartfelt was terribly special.

"Oh thank you! It's too lovely to eat!"

Lucius waited and watched with apprehension as she opened the silver box. Butterflies fluttered inside, and his heart seemed to have jumped into his throat. _What if she doesn't like it?_ He carefully observed her expression as the ends of the ribbon fell onto the table and the lid slowly lifted. He was taken by complete surprise at her embrace, but he felt his heart unclench while the rest of his body relaxed as well. A smile rose on his lips, and he placed his arms around her petite body, returning her hug. With a flirtatious grin, he replied:

"Not so lovely as you."

She laughed at his comment and let go of him, pulling the box in front of her again.

"You're such a flirt," she said, smiling.

He reluctantly let her go as she pulled back, laughing at her comment.

"I prefer 'hopeless romantic', but flirt works too."

Grinning, she very carefully broke a petal off of the flower and split it in two, giving half to Lucius and taking a bite of the other. It melted, and she took another bite, enjoying the sugary taste.

'So, how have you been since we last spoke?'

He grinned and graciously accepted his half of the sugary flower. Placing it cautiously on his tongue, he relished the sweet taste as it quickly dissolved. It was actually quite good; he was glad it tasted as good as it looked. He had forgotten to make sure of that fact before he'd left the store in his rush to find her.

He glanced out the window as she asked how he'd been since they last talked, but quickly returned his gaze to her beautiful face.

"Horrible."

He smiled slightly.

"How else would I be? I haven't been with you."

She grinned back, her pale eyes sparkling, and lifted her butterbeer, fishing the straw out from where it had lodged it's self inside the bottleneck. She sipped the warm drink, then set the bottle down on the table and leaned back against her seat, staring at the ceiling.

'Oh Lucius, you're so nice to me.'

She pulled herself back upright and smiled once more.

'You would rather spend a day with me then with your friends.'

Narcissa would happily have -lived- with Lucius and never seen her friends again, but she didn't divulge that piece of information. She was mildly surprised to find herself being shy.

Lucius motioned at the waitress, who was standing on the other side of the tavern. He grinned at Narcissa as the middle aged witch started walking over and replied:

"Not much of a choice when it's between spending time with you or being followed around by Snape..."

In truth, he was sure Rodolphus would be furious that he hadn't met up with his fellow Slytherins, but he shrugged it off. Like Lestrange could do anything about it. He much preferred her company. Finally, the waitress arrived at the table and asked if she could help him.

"Yes, I'd like a butterbeer- Do you want anything, Narcissa"

"No, but thank you for asking."

She watched as the waitress returned to the crowded bar.

"Severus seems so lonely sometimes. I worry for him."

Lucius gave the waitress a 'hurry it up' look as she walked away, then turned back to Narcissa with a small smile.

"Don't worry about Severus. He knows enough hexes to take on most any adult wizard."

Much as he claimed that Snape was just an annoying git that followed him everywhere, he did slightly respect the kid for his extensive knowledge of spells. If Lucius ever needed a second in a duel, he'd probably use Severus.

She swirled her straw in the remains of her butterbeer.

"Oh well. Since I've claimed you for today, what would you like to do"

She turned sideways in her seat to face him and sucked again on her straw. It made a bubbling noise and she stopped, glaring at it before setting it down on the table.

"Also...I've been meaning to ask.'

Her voice became quite a bit quieter much to her dismay. Oh dear. She was going to sound as though she was seven.

"Umm... the Spring ball is happening in a few weeks andI was wondering... if you'd like…to go?"

The last part was barely more then a squeak.

He was just about to answer her question about what he wanted to do for the rest of the day when she continued with another question that caught him highly off guard. A smile spread across his face. She sounded so cute.

"Of course, I would love to go with you."

Just then, the waitress returned, and he thanked her before taking a few sips of the bubbly liquid. He wasn't sure if it was the butterbeer or his nerves that were making him feel so light, but he felt as if he could have floated. Suddenly, he caught a glance of the clock on the wall. Mentally slapping himself, he hastily stood up.

"Blast! I'm so sorry, I promised Avery I'd meet him at one o'clock and it's already ten past... I really hate to leave, but I can't break my promise..."

He took his cloak off the back of the chair and looked regretfully into her eyes. Stepping closer to her, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly.

"I'll see you later," he said whispered seductively in her ear.

With one last smile, he turned and headed out into the chilly fall air, leaving Narcissa to gaze after him withthatdreamy, glazed over expression.


	8. Chapter Eight

Stepping out of the great oak doors, Lily pulled her scarlet and gold scarf tightly around her neck. The wind was chilly, and it whipped her long, crimson hair around her face, tossing the tendrils she had worked so perfectly to achieve that morning. Lily always looked perfect, no matter what she was doing or where she was going. Her friends often joked that she woke up looking like a picture; never a strand of hair out of place, never a wrinkle in her skirt, and most certainly never a grade below an O. Even in the bitter winter wind, she still looked as beautiful as ever. Her pale cheeks were tinged with a red glow from the cold, and her brilliant green eyes danced from behind stray wisps of silky, auburn hair.

She walked towards Hogsmeade, wondering where her friends had gone off to. She hadn't been able to find them that morning, and had assumed they were already in the wizarding village. Deciding the Three Broomsticks was her best option for hopes of finding them, she ambled down the street, heading towards the bar. Upon entering the crowded pub, she quickly scanned the room with her flashing emerald eyes, but her friends were no where to be found. Sighing slightly, she debated on whether to warm up a bit and wait for them in the cozy tavern, or to brave the gusty winds again in a search that didn't necessarily promise results. It took only a few seconds for her to conclude that staying inside was a far better option. Unwrapping her scarf from around her neck, she walked to one of the high-topped tables and took a seat.

Soon, she was sipping a warming butterbeer and relishing the bubbly liquid as it soothed her frigid body. She finally mustered up the warmth to remove her cloak, and she set it on the back of her chair. Hoping someone she knew would come soon, she took another drink from her bottle of butterbeer and gazed out the window.

James was wandering down the Main Street of Hogsmeade, wondering where in the name of Merlin he was going to find Lily. His precious gift was wrapped carefully in a slender gold box, tied with a matching satin ribbon and bearing the emblem of Honeydukes. The wind was bloody freezing; it whipped his robes about him and tossed his scarf with magnificent gales. Freezing half to death and scared that it might damage his package, he decided he could do for some warming butterbeer. He quickly hastened to the Three Broomsticks.

Stepping in through the bustling door, he took a moment to shake out his hair and straighten his cloak. Then he saw her. Sitting at the table, that gorgeous crimson hair shining in the soft light of the noisy pub. He didn't hear the noise though. His heart was beating so fast, it was practically an unbroken hum, pounding against his ribs. He could feel it pumping in his ears, in his fingers, in his brain. His thoughts stopped momentarily, but he took a deep breath and walked over.

"Er... hi," he said in a rather small voice.

As she was gazing out the window, a certain black-haired wizard entered the tavern. She quickly averted her eyes, hoping he wouldn't notice her. It wasn't that she didn't like him. It was the fact that she did. She couldn't afford to like him like that though, not if she wanted to keep up with school, not since he was so arrogant. He _was_ arrogant. She kept telling herself that, in an attempt to dissuade her feelings. But the fact remained; she couldn't keep herself from having feelings for him.

She glanced up as she heard her name. Sighing inwardly, she put on a half-smile.

"Hello James," she said apathetically as she watched the nervous boy with hidden interest.

Gathering more courage by the second, he ran his hand through his hair and continued: "I... well... I- I got this. For you."

He put the box on the table. He was almost sure she could hear his heart, thumping as loud as it was. His knees were about to give out as he waited for her reaction.

Her expression contorted into shock when he set the gift on the table. It was beautifully wrapped with shiny gold paper. She glanced at the emblem: Honeydukes. Wondering what it could be, she untied the ribbon and lifted the lid.

"Oh James!" she exclaimed.

It was a gorgeous bouquet of lilies. _Lilies. How perfect._ She was absolutely shocked. Smiling, she gingerly touched the delicate petals. It was like glass, reflecting the light and smooth to the touch. She couldn't believe he had bought them for her. For _her_. Her words seemed to stick in her throat.

"James I... I don't know what to say... I mean, thank you... they're beautiful..."

He watched her shocked expression with apprehension. Did she like it? He breathed a sigh of relief when she smiled. His heart relaxed a bit, and he didn't feel quite so much like he was going to faint. Smiling back at her, he said:

"Nothing could compare to you."

He knew it was cheesy. He didn't care. He glanced down at his hands nervously, then looked back up at her.

"Do you- would you mind if I join you?" he asked tentatively.

She blushed nearly as red as her hair. Looking down at her fingernails, she smiled to herself and shook her head. She folded her hands on her lap, then looked back at him. _Those eyes..._ Those deep brown, laughing eyes that seemed to entrance her. She nearly forgot about the question, but after a few moments, she snapped back to her senses. Smiling, she sat up straighter, resuming her 'prim and proper' attitude.

"Of course, please sit down."

She refused to allow his gifts to sway her. She just couldn't give in. She couldn't. She could be polite, but never overly kind. It tore her heart. She felt like screaming. But such a thing could just not happen.

He took a seat in the chair next to her, placing his hands on the table and glancing over at the flowers. _Great. Awkward silence. Just great._ He tried to think of something to say. Something. Anything.

"So, um, how's school?"

_Anything but that you idiot._ He groaned internally.

She tilted her head, watching him glance at the flowers and remaining quiet. She couldn't bring herself to speak, though there were a thousand things she wanted to say. Finally, he spoke. She wasn't too keen on talking about school, but it was better than nothing.

"School is... fine."

She knew it was a horrible answer. She felt tongue tied.

"How is school for you?"

James snorted.

"School? It's um... not bad, I suppose."

He shook his head and grinned at her. They both knew he wasn't a top student. He was smart, sure, and damn good with a wand. But he didn't apply himself. Class was just another time to goof off with his friends. Speaking of his friends, he wondered if Sirius had gotten around to proposing to Lir. He wondered if Lily knew.

"Hey, you don't happen to know if Sirius proposed to Lir yet, do you?"

Her eyes suddenly widened.

"He's proposing! I didn't know that! Ohhh that's so cute!"

She thought about the two of them, always hand in hand, always gazing into each others eyes. Both so beautiful, so fit for each other. She sighed, wishing she had someone like that.

James nodded.

"Yeah, but don't tell any–"

"Well hello Potter, and _Evans!_ Fancy seeing you two in the same place."

Arriving at the edge of the table, Narcissa offered them both a smile - the type of smile you would expect from a cat who's just killed something and has brought it onto your carpet.

James raised his eyebrows as Narcissa approached and cut him off.

"What, are you my shadow for the day or something?"

Narcissa smirked, and sat herself across from the two of them.

'If I was intent on following someone James, it certainly wouldn't be you.'

A single pale eyebrow raised with interest.

'So, what's this I hear about Sirius _proposing?_'

James narrowed his eyes.

"It's none of your damn business what Sirius is- might be doing."

He knew his friend would be furious if his relatives found out anything. James wasn't about to spill anything that could put him in a position of ridicule. He raised his eyebrows at her candy.

Lily scooted a bit closer to James. She hated the Slytherins. She wasn't about to admit that she was afraid of them, but she was. She cursed silently when Narcissa spoke of Sirius. Glancing at James, she silently thanked him for his quick tongue, something she wasn't blessed with. She hoped that if she just spoke as little as possible, Narcissa might just go away.

Narcissa took out a piece of her recently purchased candies and began nibbling daintily. Feigning a smile, she asked:

"So, how have your respective days been? Met anyone interesting?"

She seemed perfectly friendly. Anyone wandering by may have taken them for good friends planning something. If they ignored the look of intense dislike on Lily's face.

James cursed his rotten luck, moaning inside. All he wanted was some time alone with Lily. And there was Narcissa, sitting as if she were one of their dear friends. He sighed.

"My day has been positively _dandy,_" he said. His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I trust yours has been just as wonderful?"

He inclined his head at the box from Honeydukes, which he knew Lucius had purchased for her earlier. Grinning slightly, he continued:

"I mean, with the surprise gift and all."

Narcissa returned James' smile, and pulled the box from her bag, lifting the lid.

"Yes, it's lovely isn't it? Lucius bought it. So thoughtful of him. I see you've gotten Lily some lilies. Isn't that sweet. An awful pun, but sweet."

James felt his anger flare. He thought the lilies were a great idea. Did Lily think it was awful too? He glanced over at her, wondering what she was thinking.

Lily glared at Narcissa. She thought the lilies were wonderful and beautiful. They matched her name. She could tell James had spent some time picking them out. She gave James a 'don't listen to her, I like them look', but she wasn't sure if he could tell from her expression, so she added:

"I think they're lovely James."

Narcissa smiled sweetly back to Lily and continued with a honeyed tone:

"So Evans, do tell me, have you managed to secure a partner for the Spring ball? It's in two weeks."

Narcissa felt like being evil. She knew quite well that James wanted to go with Lily.

Lily was just about to reach over and touch James's hand reassuringly when Narcissa mentioned the Spring Ball. She froze. Turning her head slowly to face the other witch, she felt the color drain from her face. On any other day she would have been able to say no without batting an eyelash. But all her feelings were rising to the surface, struggling to escape the prison that had held them so long, and she was having trouble fighting. She looked down at the table, unable to hold the flame of hate in her eye. She felt like crying.

"I know when it is," she said fiercely, in a voice just above a whisper. "No. I don't have a partner."

She avoided James's gaze. She wanted to go with him. But she couldn't.

Narcissa's syrupy expression went quite icy, and suddenly she was very serious. Her eyes were gunmetal grey as she stared straight at Lily and spoke. Every word seemed to hang in the air and glitter with frost.

"Why don't you go with _him?_" she said, pointing a perfectly manicured fingernail at James.

She looked back to Lily and made a small huffing noise, like a teacher who is annoyed with her students.

"I am sure that he won't embarrass you. Besides, he's been asking you for the past what, six years? I honestly cannot see what you find to be so wrong with him."

The air between the two of them almost crackled with dislike.

James felt his heart clench at this mentioned of the Spring Ball. Of course he wanted to go with Lily. Did he have the guts to ask her? No. She would obviously say no. He didn't even think it was worth his effort. But maybe... maybe it was. It wasn't like he hadn't been turned down by her before. He watched her expression, wondering if he could read anything in it.

As James saw Lily glance down, though, his heart abruptly sank. She seemed upset, almost angry. He wished Narcissa would leave them alone. But he had to make the best of his situation. He hated being rejected, and it was nearly inevitable. But he decided to go for it anyway. He had to know if there was any hope. He couldn't just sit there wondering what she would say for the rest of his life. Even though he really already knew. He had been just about to ask when Narcissa had piped up. Utterly horrified, he cast a glance at shocked glance at the blonde Slytherin, then turned to Lily and searched her face for an answer.

"Lily... you know I would love to go with you... I mean, if you want... but I'll understand if..."

He trailed off, not wanting to finish. He knew it was going to happen anyway though.

"... if you don't want to."

Lily felt as if a strong blast of wind had just knocked her to the ground, as if her veins were filled with ice. Her heart nearly stopped. She looked up at Narcissa with a bewildered and mortified expression, as if to ask 'how could you do this to me?' Shaking slightly, she looked over at James. A small tear slipped from her emerald eyes and onto her pale cheek. She couldn't bear to look at him; it pained her too much inside. She buried her head in her arms, wishing everything would just go away and knowing she was acting foolish.

James had expected a flat no. He hadn't expected tears. He didn't know what he had said to upset her so much. Casting a confused glance in Narcissa's direction, he tentatively raised his hand and placed it on Lily's shoulder.

"Hey, c'mon now, it's ok... I didn't mean to offend you, I promise I'll leave you alone, just stop crying, please..."

He hated to see her upset, even more than he hated the thought of losing her forever. If it made her happy, he would do anything. He just wished she could be happy with him. It wasn't fair. He stroked her hair a bit.

Narcissa stood and slid the box into her bag once more. She pushed a curl behind her ear, and then leaned over the table until her head was next to Lily's.

"You can't hate him forever. Stop being an idiot," she hissed her whispers like vicious cutting knives.

With that, she stood, and, blowing a kiss to them both, left the pub; walking back to the castle muttering to herself about idiot stubborn Gryffindors.

Lily felt his hand on her shoulder and her body shuddered. It sent a tingle down her spine. Her tears were soaking the arms of her sweater. Narcissa's voice was suddenly in her ear. It was icy, but it snapped her. She couldn't bear it. Her emotions were on fire, burning her mind and stealing any shred of sanity. It was consuming her, taking over. She couldn't hold back anymore. There was no keeping the lid on. Sitting up, she wiped her eyes and looked straight at James.

"You- you haven't offended me James. Not at all. Don't- don't leave, please."

Her lip trembled, and her voice was shaky.

"I... I would be honored if you went to the Spring Dance with me."

She wiped her eyes and attempted a smile.

James was just about to go when Lily raised her head. As he listened to her words, he felt his heart get lighter and lighter. He shook his head, as if to make sure he was hearing things right.

"You- you... and me... the dance..."

He had no words. He was more overjoyed than he had ever been in his life. He couldn't suppress his smile; it split his face and lit up his eyes. Raising his hand to her face, he wiped a few tears from her eyes. Those brilliant, emerald eyes. Staring deeply into them, he leaned forward and kissed her softly. He just couldn't resist; it was like every dream come true. He put his arms around her, holding her tightly to him, running his fingers through her hair, smiling all the time. He wanted her to be as happy as he was. He wanted to take away whatever was making her cry. He could feel her body still shaking, sense the pain still inside her. Attempting to comfort her with his embrace, he whispered:

"Sh, it's ok. Everything'll be ok now."


	9. Chapter Nine

Sirius and Lir were lounging on the grounds when he glanced at his watch and stood up.

"I better go get ready," he said. "The Quidditch game will start in an hour."

He helped her to her feet and gave her a quick kiss before dashing off to the locker rooms. He felt as light as a feather while he changed into his scarlet robes and put on his Beater gear. His fingers were trembling from his anxiety for the game and his apprehension for the big moment afterwards; it was making the intricate laces of the various pads more difficult than usual to get right, but he was soon ready. Grabbing his broom, he joined the rest of his teammates, who were waiting on him in the typical pregame circle. Grinning at James, he nodded and took a seat on one of the benches, wondering what Captain James' speech would entail.

James pulled his scarlet robes over his head and sighed. He wasn't nervous, he wasn't excited. He felt... indifferent. Normally, Quidditch was the only thing in his life that mattered, the only thing he lived for. Today, it seemed rather pointless. He shook his head; he needed to get in the game. He had to concentrate. He was the Captain; he had to be a leader for the rest of the team. He picked up his broom, turning the smooth wooden handle over in his hands. A Titan 400: one of the best brooms on the market. His father had bought it for him as a Christmas gift, and it was one of James' most prized possessions, right after the Invisibility cloak and the Marauders' Map of course. Letting the power of the wood remind him of the importance of Quidditch, he took a deep breath and called his teammates over to their typical pregame huddle. Sirius, of course, was running late, and having quite a difficult time with his unusually cumbersome Beater gear. James grinned as his friend finally made it over to the circle.

"Well, decide to join us Sirius?"

He chuckled and faced the rest of his team.

"Well, I think we all know what we're here to do. Just play like we've been practicing, keep your heads in the game, and listen to each other. No one in here could win this game alone, so play as a team and work together..."

He continued on the 'teamwork' rant, then diverged into the tactics they'd been practicing until he heard the whistle blow. His stomach fluttered. Nodding to the rest of them, he said:

"Let's do it."

They marched out onto the field, carrying their brooms and looking quite impeccable. James was proud of his team, and he had no trouble admitting it. He would have bet his broomstick that they would win this match; they were playing Ravenclaw, whose team wasn't bad, but certainly not in the same league.

Mounting his broom, James waited for the signal of the start of the game.

Narcissa looked at the time and sighed. It was almost time for the Quidditch game, most of the students would be heading for the arena now. She stood up, stretched out her sore stiff limbs and unwrinkled her clothing with a charm. She re-wrapped her thick green and silver scarf about her neck and started off towards the Quidditch Pitch. She could see a stream of Hogwarts students walking towards it from the castle.

She made her way through the crowd and began the long climb to the top of the tower, managing to find a seat right at the top. It was just one row below the teachers, which meant she had an excellent view. Arranging her clothing properly and pulling her cloak over the pale flesh of her bare legs she settled down, and watched as the house stands began to fill with students.

Sirius stepped out onto the pitch and let the roar of the crowd fill his insides with a swelling pride. He grinned and searched the stands for Lir, but he had trouble finding her face amongst all the other students. He sighed and mounted his broom, standing next to James on the green field and waiting for the whistle which would signal the beginning of the game.

At last, Professor Dumbledore strode onto the pitch and raised his hands for silence. He put the Snitch into his hand, then blew the whistle and released the tiny golden ball. Sirius shot up into the air, feeling the wind rush past his ears and whip his hair from his eyes. It was exhilarating. Gryffindor was in possession, giving him enough time to search for Lir from his elevated position. He spotted her now, sitting in one of the stands near their house's goal posts. Grinning, he waved to her, then noticed a Bludger heading for a Gryffindor Chaser and zoomed down to thwart its passage. Giving it a good knock, he sent it towards the Ravenclaw Chaser who was attempting to steal the ball.

James shot into the air and headed straight for the Snitch. He hadn't let it leave his eyesight from the time it left Dumbledore's hand. He was gaining on it... so close... it would be a record if he could catch it in less than a minute... but just as he was about to close the tips of his fingers around the buzzing wings, a Bludger caught him in the back, sending him off course and giving the golden ball a chance to escape. The game carried on.

Fifteen minutes later, James was circling above the stands. Gryffindor was in the lead, 40 to 0, but the Ravenclaws were playing well. He needed to catch the Snitch. He dropped altitude a bit, and suddenly a flash of gold caught his eye. It was hovering near the ground in the middle of the pitch. James reacted without thinking; he dived, racing his speedy broom with the help of the wind towards the ground, towards the glittering golden speck. He was nearing it again... so close...

It vanished. Taking off at a blinding speed, James couldn't even tell which direction it had gone. He was crashing towards the ground now without a Snitch insight. Using all his strength, he pulled his broom out of the spectacular dive, moaning along with the rest of the crowd. Cursing his luck, he sailed back up to his lofty position above the stands.

Sirius watched as James pulled out of the dive and sighed. They needed to catch the Snitch, and soon. The Ravenclaws were gaining on them, it was 50-30 now. He was getting tired; dashing here and there to defend his Chasers, his Beaters' bat was starting to shudder each time he thwacked the Bludgers, and his wrist was throbbing. He hovered close to Heather Price, who was currently in possession of the Quaffle, and blocked the other players who were in her way, allowing her free passage towards the Ravenclaw goals. Flying up a bit, he watched as she took aim...

"GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"

Sirius cheered with the rest of his team, but his arm was smarting even worse where he had shoved into one of the Ravenclaw Beaters. Suddenly, he spotted a Bludger heading near James again. Cursing the damn Ravenclaws for not playing by the rules (you can't hurl Bludgers at the Seekers), he sped towards the small black ball and gave it a good whallop. Unfortunately, he had aimed it at one of the players who was passing in front of the stands. When the Ravenclaw girl realized it was coming at her, she moved aside, but the Bludger kept going... right into the stands.

It was moving at such a rapid pace, no one had much time to react. Sirius grimaced as it hit someone in the stands. He couldn't tell who it was from where he was on the field, but he could hear a couple girls screaming. He sheepishly flew towards the other end as the Bludger came bounding back into the game.

Narcissa was watching, faintly impressed. She was a Slytherin fan, of course, but her small secret was that Gryffindor was her second favourite team. As much as she hated to admit it, they knew what they were doing.

She was watching James pull from a dive and a chaser score when she heard an odd whistling noise. Looking up she had just enough time to open her mouth when the Bludger slammed into her face. She felt her nose break and her lip split. The pain seared down her spin as she was knocked from her seat backwards, her head falling onto the potion master's lap. The Bludger spun back into the game.

People were screaming and yelling and the teachers in her stand stood up, levitating her down the stairs to the green lawn outside of the pitch. She heard a ding as someone scored again. When she opened her eyes blinding white spots danced in front of her. She tried to blow the blood out of her nose but the pain almost made her black out. Tears trickled down the sides of her face as various teachers discussed things. The nurse couldn't come yet, someone from Gryffindor had fallen off their broom. Narcissa lay there dazedly. The pain crashed over her like an ocean and she passed away into blackness.

Night was coming on. The game had been going on for hours. _Where is that Snitch?_ Sirius could barely move his arm, much less hit Bludgers effectively. Suddenly, he spotted the little black ball and raced towards it; the Bludger was headed for the Gryffindor Keeper, who was completely ignorant of its presence. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it fast enough, and the Bludger rammed into their Keeper, sending him falling from his broom to the ground below. Shrieks erupted from the stands, but as the rest of the game turned to look at the motionless player on the ground below, James was closing his fingers around the Snitch. The crowd was partially shrieking from the stray Bludger's aftermath, partially screaming for the fallen Gryffindor, and partially cheering for James' brilliant catch. When the Gryffindors realized they had won, they quickly raced towards James and showered their hands on his back, floating down towards the ground to see how the Keeper was doing. Everything was nuts; it seemed like the world had fallen into chaos, and Sirius couldn't find Lir's face in it all. He hurried into the locker room, changing from his Quidditch robes and relishing the thrill of winning, as well as anticipating the falling night.

A few minutes later, he checked his pocket and walked up into the stand where he had seen Lirenel sitting. He bumped a few people coming down the stairs as he climbed his way up to the top. Finally, he reached the seats, but it was still too full to find Lir in the mess. He waited as the other students filed out, passing him with words of congratulations and praise. One boy even said"Awesome Bludger" but Sirius didn't know exactly how awesome his bludger had been, so he simply smiled and nodded. At length, there were only a few stragglers left, and he was able to see Lir, still sitting in her seat and engaged in conversation with one of her friends. He took a deep breath and strode over.

"Hey," he said, sitting down next to her and hugging her briefly.

Lirenel was chatting with one of her friends, Isabelle, when she felt Sirius wrap his arms around her. She smiled and leaned into him, feeling her stomach flip-flop like it always did when he was near. His voice was mellifluous, like the harmony of the sweetest love song. She nodded to her friend, indicating that she would like to be alone with her love. Isabelle was quick on the uptake and smiled knowingly, leaving them to themselves.

The stand was now deserted except for Lirenel and Sirius. It was twilight, and the sun had taken on a Midas touch, turning everything which its soft rays could reach into splendid gold. The trees of the Forbidden Forest sprouted boughs of that precious metal, glittering beyond the stands. Long shadows stretched across the empty field, and the air stood quietly. A gentle breeze stirred every so often, like heaven's warm, caressing breath, and a sense of tranquility resided on the pitch, which had been so chaotic just moments ago. Lirenel turned to face Sirius, gazing into his deep, soft brown eyes. The golden rays cast him in a rich, luminous light, making him even more elegantly handsome, if such was possible. She laid her head on his shoulder and pressed against him softly, wishing the ethereal moment could last forever.

"Lir," Sirius began suddenly, "there's something... something I've been meaning to ask you."

As she sat back up, she gave him a curious looking, wondering what he wanted to ask her.

"What is it, Sirius?"

His heart was beating rapidly as he took her hand, stood up, and knelt down in front of her. Staring up into her eyes, he continued:

"Lir... when I wake up in the morning, you're the first thing on my mind. When I go to sleep at night, you're the last face I see, the last voice I hear. With all this graduation talk, everyone's got me thinking about life beyond school... getting a job, buying a house, finding someone to spend the rest of my life with. And Lir, when I think about the rest of my life, I can only picture it with you. I love you so much..."

He paused and took a deep breath.

"I guess what I'm saying is... will you- will you marry me?"

Her heart had begun beating very rapidly as he took her hand and knelt down beside her. _No, he wouldn't... it can't be..._ Her blood was pounding in her ears, and her stomach was full of butterflies. She could have floated right up into the magnificent firmament. Her smile grew larger and larger as his words continued, and as he reached the end of his speech, she felt her all her emotions simply explode inside her. Her words stuck in her throat, and all coherent thought seemed to have escaped her.

"I... Sirius... me, and you, and- I mean, yes! Oh Sirius! Yes yes yes yes!"

She pulled him up to her and kissed him as if she would never kiss another soul again. Life, for a moment, was absolutely, categorically, 100 perfect.

* * *

James was seated in his usual spot at the Gryffindor table. His feet were propped up, and his arms were behind his head as he leaned back, perfectly relaxed and acting like he owned the place. Well, in his mind, he did. But lately, he had been floating on a cloud. His heart raced to even think about it. Lily had actually agreed to go to the dance with him. Lily. _Lily Evans._ The girl he had been chasing since first year had finally agreed to give him a chance. He could have started singing. They had talked it over at the Three Broomsticks, that glorious day in Hogsmede with Narcissa and the candied lillies... he sighed, remembering the way her brilliant, fiery hair had glittered in the soft tavern lights while she explained her complicated emotions... how she was afraid, how she needed to focus on school because there was so much pressure on her to succeed, how she had to maintain that perfect reputation... He could still feel her in his arms as he comforted her, drying her tears. It was the best feeling in the world. Not even Quidditch felt that good. 

Sitting back up, he picked up his fork and started piling on the food, digging in heartily to his giant stack of pancakes. He heaped some eggs and bacon onto the golden plate as well. After polishing off most of his food, he took a swig of pumpkin juice and looked around. He wondered where Sirius was. But then again, Sirius had had a long night. He was probably sleeping. James grinned as he thought about what rumour was saying had happened last night. It would seem that Padfoot had actually put that ring to good use. James shook his head, almost disbelieving that his friend would do such a thing, except he had seen the way Sirius looked at Lir. It was the way he looked at Lily. He started to wonder... would he ever ask Lily to marry him? His fork hung suspended in mid air. Would he? It was a worthy question. He pondered for a little while, stirring his food around on his plate, and finally decided that he would.

Sirius was lying on his bed up in the dorms, staring at the ceiling with a huge grin on his face. He had been up since dawn. Actually, he couldn't remember ever falling asleep. She had said yes. Yes. The memory played over and over in his

mind, sending chills over his body and shivers down his spine. He was _engaged_. He couldn't actually believe it. Everything seemed to be so much more important these days, like the time for pranks and immaturity was over. Like every decision had more of an impact, deserved more weight... he was about to step out into the real world. School wouldn't be able to protect him anymore. What would he do with his life? At least it would be with her...

Two chattering voices passed his door and woke him from his daze. He shook his head and glanced at the clock. It was breakfast time; his friends were probably wondering where he was. Still smiling, he rolled out of bed, relishing the brilliant light of the sun and looking at everything with much more optimism than before. The dorm room seemed brighter, his shoes seemed shinier, hell, even James's bed seemed slightly more tidy. Putting on his robes almost automatically, he left the Common Room, still in his dream-state.

As he entered the Great Hall, he bumped into a couple Slytherin seventh years who gave him rather nasty glares, but he didn't pay any mind. Heading instinctively for James, he grinned widely and plopped down next to his friend.

"Morning Prongs," he said, still beaming.

He piled some eggs and toast onto his plate, poured some pumpkin juice, and dug in. Glancing up, he continued:

"How've you been mate? I didn't see you in Hogsmeade."

He raised his eyebrows as he took a gulp of his juice.

James glanced up as the doors to the Great Hall opened. He grinned at Sirius as he sat down.

"Morning to you too."

He couldn't help grinning like mad as Sirius dug in to his breakfast. He watched him for a bit. His expression became even more gleeful, and slightly embarrassed, as Sirius mentioned Hogsmeade.

"I'm, er... fine."

He couldn't hold it in. His smile was about to break his face.

"I asked Lily to the Spring Dance."

He looked down at his plate, still grinning.

"She said yes."

Pumpkin juice abruptly spewed from Sirius's mouth and he coughed a couple times before he could answer.

"What!"

He stared at James as if his friend had just sprouted a Mandrake from his ears.

"Lily said yes! _Lily Evans?_ The one who hates your guts!"

He shook his head and mopped up the pumpkin juice with his napkin, furrowing his brow in incredulity.

James jumped back as Sirius sprayed pumpkin juice all over the table. Shaking his robes a bit, he grinned.

"Yes, Lily Evans said that she would go to the dance with me."

He sighed and glanced up at the ceiling.

"I guess she must not hate my guts too much anymore."

He grinned and looked back at Sirius.

"On the subject of saying 'yes', what's this I hear about you and Lirenel?"

He raised his eyebrows.

"Did you finally ask her?"

Sirius kept shaking his head disbelievingly until James mentioned Lir. He suddenly went very still, and his huge grin returned to his face. He kept his eyes deliberately on the pumpkin juice as he carefully wiped it up.

"Er, um, yes."

He took a deep breath.

"Yes, I asked her."

James grinned. Padfoot was avoiding his eye.

"And...?"

He waited apprehensively, though he already knew.

Sirius glanced up at James. His smile just wouldn't go away.

"And… she said yes."

He shook his head and grinned like a maniac.

Now it was James's turn to flip.

"She _did?_ I figured Peter had just heard things wrong again... I mean, it wouldn't have surprised me, but she actually said yes! That's wicked Padfoot! Hah! You're engaged!"

He grinned and picked up his goblet of pumpkin juice. Raising it up, he said:

"I propose a toast. To us: for finally landing the women we love."

His smile could have rivaled the Cheshire cat's.

Sirius looked up at his friend and grinned. Picking up his goblet, he clinked it against James's and replied:

"To us."

He took a swig, careful not to spill any of it, and set it down on the table again.

"This is so far removed."

He picked up his toast and took a few bites, chewing thoughtfully. After a few moments, he glanced back over at James and queried:

"So, how'd you wind up asking Lily?"

He raised his eyebrows and smirked slightly.

"I'm thinking there's a good story behind this one."

* * *

Lirenel's eyes gazed out through the high dormitory window and over the silent grounds. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a faint glow from its position behind the mountains. The earth was peaceful and still, not yet awakened from the tranquil slumber which night had pressed upon it. The sky was lightening slowly, as the brilliant rays touched the soft clouds with luminating colors, pale pinks and yellows. She sighed, taking in the beauty of the scene before her. She couldn't remember the last time she had watched a sunrise. It was so grand, so ethereal. The glass felt cool beneath her forehead as she leaned against the window, smiling to the sleeping world. She glanced down at her hand, on which a gorgeous ring now resided. She twirled it around her finger, then held it out in front of her, admiring the way the young rays of the sun danced on the sparkling diamond, like the light reflecting off the glittering surface of the lake. It filled her heart with joy as she recalled the previous night. Sleep hadn't come to her when she had finally returned to the dorms; she lay awake in her scarlet four-poster, too replete with emotion to let her eyes close. At length, she had come to the window, letting everything settle in her mind. She wondered if it all had been a dream, a wonderful, marvelous dream. But she could still feel his hand, hear his mellifluous words... and the ring. The ring was on her finger. She shivered, leaning against the window again. 

A few hours later, the sun had fully risen, and Lirenel decided it was time to vanquish her position at the window and head down to breakfast. It was a brilliant day; the clouds had given way to a clear azure sky, and the sun was radiating splendidly, casting everything in a resplendent light. After she had put on her robes, Lirenel waltzed through the Common Room, smiling grandly and attracting numerous odd looks. She didn't care. She vaguely wondered if anyone knew... most likely they did. Rumours flew faster than James on a broomstick.

Entering the Great Hall, her smile grew even larger. She strode to the Gryffindor table and took a seat next to Sirius, kissing him softly on the cheek.

"Good morning," she said, still smiling widely.

She brushed a few strands of hair from his face and stared into his eyes for a few moments. Kissing him once again, she turned to her golden plate and took a slice of toast. She buttered it and dribbled on some honey; munching quietly, she let herself lean into Sirius, relishing his warm, encasing body. She grinned at James, knowing he couldn't tell her off for the PDAs this time. She had heard something from Lily.

"So James, what's this I hear about you and Lil? Something about the Spring Dance...?"

She arched an eyebrow quizzically and grinned.


End file.
